Stuck in Reverse
by wallscollide
Summary: Set during 02x05 - "Truth Be Told." After thinking she saw Liam at work, Callie didn't go home. Trigger warnings: sexual assault and rape.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I wanted to have something new posted before Christmas a sort-of present to you guys. :) Most of this was written months ago as that "short Stef/Callie thing" which is longer than I anticipated it to be (which I don't mind and I'm sure you all don't, either); I've been adding to it recently and I didn't like the title, so I wasn't going to start posting it until I did.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone. Enjoy.

Title is lyrics from "Fix You" by Coldplay.

As always, I only own my story ideas and original characters, not _The Fosters_.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

"Thanks, Wyatt. I'm gonna try her again. Bye."

"Try who again?" Stef wondered as she walked in the front door.

"Hey, honey," Lena greeted her from the living room couch, cell phone in hand. "Get hung up at the station?"

She nodded. "I was in court most of the day and came back to a ton of paperwork." All it took was one look at her wife's face and she knew that something wasn't right. "What's wrong?"

"Callie was supposed to be off of work at five-thirty. She's not answering her phone or any texts."

Stef sighed. "Is it going straight to voicemail?"

"No. It rings. I've called twice," she replied as she put her phone up to her ear. She shook her head. "Still no answer. Hey, Callie. It's Lena. Stef and I just want to get in touch with you. Please call us. We just want to make sure you're alright."

"It's only been an hour, love. Let's give her until curfew to call or come home."

7 PM came and went without the sound of a ringing phone or footsteps on the porch.

Stef looked somewhat anxiously at the clock in the kitchen. "Alright. Fifteen more minutes."

When Callie still hadn't called or showed up, Stef checked the family's tracking app to see if her location was visible. "She's at the school."

"Anchor Beach?"

Stef nodded and stood. "I'm going to go get her." She picked up her keys from the coffee table and went to the front door for her jacket.

Stef got in her car and drove, parking in the lot closest to the main building and getting out. She didn't see Callie anywhere and decided to search the grounds.

Callie wasn't on the playground. She checked the soccer field next, spotting a figure sitting on the top row of the bleachers. She approached the metal structure from behind and went to the front.

"There you are. Lena has been trying to reach you." She climbed the rows and sat next to Callie who didn't look up or acknowledge her presence. "It's past curfew, you know."

Callie was silent, staring at her feet.

"Do you wanna tell me what this is all about?"

Her question was met with more silence.

"Callie, did something happen?" Stef tried again.

"I'm fine," she asserted briskly, shivering as the chill of the evening breeze hit her skin.

"She speaks," Stef proclaimed as she removed her jacket and placed it around the younger girl's shoulders.

"Callie, whatever this is, we can help. You can tell me or Lena anything."

"Can we just go?" she sighed, handing the leather garment back to the blonde. She didn't wait for an answer as she started back down the bleachers.

Stef followed her and they went to the car. The ride home was quiet; Callie just stared out the window. She let Callie in the house first. "Go upstairs and take a warm shower." They always seemed to help melt some stress away.

Callie did as she was told. She went to the second floor bathroom and turned the water on, as hot as she could stand it before stepping behind the curtain. Tears quickly became mixed in with the water that ran down over her body. She was grateful that no one was around to hear her crying.

 _[][][][][][]_

Lena poured hot water into Stef's mug; she bobbed the tea bag as she let it steep. "Something happened. I don't know what, but it's obviously upset her."

Lena sat down across from her wife. "She didn't tell you anything?"

"Just that she's fine, which she clearly isn't," Stef sighed with a hint of frustration.

"Now, who does _that_ remind me of?" Lena teased lightly, which earned her a small smile from her wife. "She'll come to us, honey. She just needs time."

"I guess," Stef agreed with a sigh. She was not satisfied with that, however. She wanted answers to the questions swirling around in her head. She just wanted Callie to _truly_ be okay.

 _[][][][][][]_

When Callie got out of the shower, she got dressed and went straight to bed.

This struck Mariana as odd; it was only eight o'clock. "Are you sick?"

"No," Callie replied shortly. She rolled over to face the wall and pulled the blankets up over her head, blocking out the light that was cast over the room.

 _[][][][][][]_

Stef was making her nightly rounds, going into Callie's and Mariana's room as they would be getting ready for bed.

"Hey, Miss Thing."

Mariana had just come in from the bathroom where she brushed her teeth. "Hey."

Stef glanced to the silent lump that was Callie. "Is she asleep?"

"I think so. She hasn't moved."

Stef walked up to the bed. She heard the girl's soft, even breaths from underneath the blanket. If Callie was faking it, the blonde concluded that she was doing a great job.

She went to hug and kiss Mariana. "Good night. Love you."

"Love you, too, Mom," the teen echoed and climbed into bed.

Stef flicked off the lamp and shut the door, leaving her girls to rest.

 _[][][][][][]_

 _"We should get back to work."_

 _"Mhm," Daphne wordlessly agreed, with a hint of 'this isn't over' in her tone._

 _They both stood, with Callie going to the table she was cleaning before they sat down. Daphne took trash inside, leaving her alone._

 _She started to wipe the table down again and looked through the window as a customer paid for his order. The man turned around and looked her way, recognizing her immediately._

 _Callie quickly looked away, her chest beginning to constrict with every breath she took._

Liam.

 _She was working; she had nowhere to go. She tried to clean the table to distract herself, but it was no use._

 _"Hey, Callie. So, you work here, huh?"_

 _Hearing his voice sent shivers down her spine. He was standing next to her._

 _"Go home, Liam. I'm working." She didn't look up as she spoke._

 _"Now, is that how you speak to someone who helps pay your salary?" he asked, pretending to be offended. "Maybe you shouldn't be here if that's how you treat customers. I have just as much of a right to be here as you do."_

 _"Just go. Please," Callie whispered. Tears threatened to blur her vision._

 _Liam laughed softly. "Sure, sure. I'll stop by again soon." He reached to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "See you around, pretty girl."_

 _Callie stood motionless, clutching the rag in her hand as she heard Liam's footsteps fade away._

Callie's eyes shot open. She clawed the blanket down from over her face as she quietly gasped for air. She felt like she was going to be sick.

It was a dream. Just a dream. Liam wasn't there with her. He wasn't at the burger stand.

Then, how come she could swear she could still feel his fingers brush against her skin, feel his warm breath in her ear?

Callie shivered, realizing she was soaked in sweat. She willed herself to calm down as adrenaline still coursed through her veins.

It was so real. It _felt_ so real.

She rolled over and squinted at the light of her iPhone screen as she checked the time. _1:41 AM_.

She couldn't go back to sleep, not without risking another nightmare.

So, Callie stared, her eyes blank and unseeing at the door until exhaustion overtook her in the early morning.

* * *

 **A/N:** Let me know what you all think. See you all in 2016!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Happy New Year, all! I hope to bring you many more writings this year.

Thanks so much to everyone who left a review on the first chapter and everyone who is reading and enjoying this so far.

This was originally planned as a one-shot, but it grew from there. I ended up adding quite a bit more in this part than what was written initially. Hope you all enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

"Good morning, Callie. Sleep well?"

"Yeah," she nodded, answering Stef's question as she came downstairs to have breakfast.

The blonde had a feeling that Callie was being less than truthful; from what she could see, the girl looked tired as she poured herself a bowl of cereal and reached for the milk.

Stef chose not to mention it as the rest of her brood filed in and the room was a clamor of activity before everyone left for the day.

 _[][][][][][]_

Callie sat in the middle of the quad surrounded by chattering students, but she'd never felt more alone. Her thoughts drowned out all other noise.

 _"You look great. I can't believe how much you've grown in two years."_

 _"So, you miss me?"_

Those words echoed in her head. She was just as repulsed by them now as she was that night.

 _'What if he shows up here? He already has once. What's to stop him from coming around again? To threaten me.'_

Callie felt a phantom throbbing in the wrist that Liam had grabbed that day.

 _I turned to start walking away, but before I knew it, Liam's hand was wrapped tightly around my wrist. I tried not to show how much it hurt. "Ow! Liam, let me go!"_

 _He pulled me in so close; his face was right above mine. I stopped fighting him. I learned not to fight him a long time ago._

 _He always got what he wanted._

 _"I'm not gonna warn you again. Stay away from me and stay away from Sarah."_

 _'To torment me.'_

She thought back to his comment on Instagram from the night of Wyatt's foreclosure party.

 _Nice tree. That's the one outside your bedroom window, right?_

Callie shivered. She couldn't eat, just picking at her lunch in order to keep her hands busy.

 _'He could just use social media, too. I know all of my accounts are private, but people find ways of getting messages across if they really want to.'_

Callie looked up and saw a student unwrap a Kit-Kat bar. Liam used to leave those in her backpack as a surprise. They were her favorite.

 _Were. Used to be. Not anymore. Never again._

In that brief moment, Callie was caught between being on the verge of tears and throwing up; emotions bubbling, anxiety gnawing at her stomach. He was nowhere and everywhere.

Callie got up from her table and threw away her food, going to class early, hoping that the walk there would help clear her head so she could focus in class.

 _[][][][][][]_

 _'He could go after Mariana. Or Daphne.'_ She'd never forgive herself if Liam hurt her family. _'What if he_ does _show up at work?'_ Callie saw Liam touching her face, whispering in her ear—

"Are you with us, Miss Jacob?"

Callie's head snapped up at the sound of her name. "Y-yes. Sorry."

"What were we just discussing?"

Callie looked down at her textbook. "Women's right to vote." With a quick glance at those nearby, she saw that she was several pages behind.

A few classmates snickered at her predicament.

"Do try to pay attention," Mr. Bartlett said. "You will be seeing this again on next week's test." He left it at that, walking to the far end of the rows of desks. "Women's suffrage was important for three reasons..."

 _[][][][][][]_

Callie was now at the dinner table eating as Mariana was telling a story, though not really listening. It was the last place she wanted to be. She had no appetite. Her stomach hurt. It took all of the control and energy she had to swallow the food and keep it down. On top of it all, she felt immense guilt about not wanting to eat.

 _'How dare you sit here and not eat?'_ she scolded herself.

Callie knew she should be grateful to have any dinner at all. She _knew_ what it was like to go hungry, to go to sleep at night with an empty stomach. In a few previous foster homes, it was a daily occurrence, a harsh reality. Stef and Lena had never let that happen and never would. So, she felt guilty that eating was the last thing she felt like doing.

"Callie? Earth to Callie."

She startled a bit and looked up from her plate as Jude waved his hand in front of her face. She cursed herself for spacing out in front of everyone, not seeing the concerned looks that Stef and Lena were giving her.

"What?"

"Brandon asked you a question."

"Sorry."

"I was wondering if you understood what Mr. Scott was teaching us in Alegbra today."

Honestly, Callie had no clue what he was talking about. She decided to play dumb, thinking maybe that would jog her memory. "Not really. I was sorta lost."

That much was true. She'd been lost in her thoughts about Liam all day. She had to wrestle with herself not to swipe at her nose, something she only did when she was stressed or overwhelmed by fear or nervousness. That was her tell. She'd be found out in a second flat. The dream and preceding encounters with Liam were consuming her with no relief in sight.

"Me, too. But it all started making sense by the end when he was showing us how multiplying and dividing the rational expressions related to each other."

Callie smiled a little. "Yeah, I agree. It's not too hard."

The rest of dinner came and went. Stef and Lena had Callie stay behind to wash up the dishes while everyone else went upstairs.

She was barely able to withstand the reflex to jump when she heard them walk up behind her, forcing herself to relax. She dried the last plate and placed it in a stack.

"Callie, come sit, honey," Lena requested. "We wanna talk to you."

She turned around and sat across from them at the table. "What's up?"

"We need to talk about last night, why you didn't come home. Is everything okay?"

She wanted to tell them. She really did. She could spill her guts right then and get the weight off of her chest. At the very least, they would help her carry it.

But something inside wouldn't let her, so she lied.

"I just...had a bad day," Callie replied, looking at her foster moms. "I messed up a few orders and was short with a customer, who complained to my boss."

"It's okay, sweetheart. These things happen," Lena assured her. "You learn from them and move on. That's what's important."

Callie nodded. "You're right. I guess I just overreacted."

"Is that all? You're sure that's all it was?" Stef wondered.

To anyone else, that would seem like an innocent question. But Callie knew what the blonde was doing; she was giving her an out, a chance to come clean. She'd seen right through her. She _hated_ how the older woman could do that so easily.

Callie looked up at both of them as she tried to convince herself. "Yeah. That's all. I'm sorry."

 _'My God, I've been saying that a lot lately.'_

"I didn't mean to worry you. It won't happen again."

Lena spoke next. "Please, don't be afraid to call us if you need some space. We'll let you have it. We just like to know where you guys are. Okay?"

"Okay. Are we done? I have homework to finish," Callie asked, a convenient excuse to get away.

"Yeah, go ahead," Stef granted and watched her retreat to her room.

* * *

 **A/N:** What did you guys think of this chapter? Leave me your thoughts. I love receiving and reading your feedback. I will update again soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** My apologies for the delay in updating. I sort of lost my writing motivation, but I'm getting back to it.

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Lena was applying lotion to her skin as she and Stef were getting ready for bed. "I thought we agreed that we were going to ground her for breaking curfew?" She was surprised that her wife hadn't mentioned it when they were alone with Callie.

"I know." Stef spit into the bathroom sink and rinsed her toothbrush, returning to the bedroom. "But I think we have bigger problems right now. She's a wreck, Lena. I don't care that she broke curfew. That's just a symptom of whatever she's really hiding. I care that she didn't sleep last night, that she was choking down her dinner. She lied right to our faces."

"We just have to wait, honey. I know you hate that, but we have to let her decide to open up to us on her own."

Stef groaned.

"Forcing it out of her might cause her to distance herself further. We need to be patient and assure her that we're here for her."

"And just stand by and watch her be crushed under the weight of whatever this is? Lena, I _can't_."

Lena was sure her expression matched Stef's pleading one; they hated to see any of their kids struggle. She knew her wife. Stef was a problem-solver, a fixer, and it drove her crazy when she wasn't able to do that, especially when her family was involved.

"We have to."

"Well, that sucks," Stef groused bitterly, going to her side of the bed and climbing in. "Good night." She turned off her lamp and lay down, hoping that sleep would come easily.

 _[][][][][][]_

Meanwhile, in the next room, Callie slept fitfully again that night, tangling herself in her blanket as she was engrossed in yet another dream.

 _Callie left the shack, her shift now over. She took her phone out of her bag to text Stef to come pick her up._

 _"Hey, Callie."_

 _She about jumped ten feet in the air at the voice that disturbed the once-quiet night._

 _"Wh-What do you want, Liam?"_

 _He came closer, stepping out of the shadows. "I came to see you. You are my favorite, after all."_

 _Callie decided to call Stef immediately; she needed to get away from him._

 _Before she could hit 'call,' Liam grabbed her wrist, forcing her to drop her phone, hearing it smack against the asphalt of the parking lot._

 _"Now, now. No need for that."_

 _"Liam, let me go," Callie said, gritting her teeth at the pain his vice-like grip inflicted. "My mom's gonna be here any minute."_

 _"No, she won't." He let go of her and picked up her phone. "Because you're going to text her and tell her that you need to stay late, that you need to help close."_

 _"I—"_

 _"Do it!" he ordered, louder this time. He picked up the phone and shoved it into Callie's chest; she fumbled to catch it._

 _With shaking hands, Callie typed out a message to Stef:_ Don't come get me. Josh needs me to stay to help close. I'll let you know when I'm done.

 _"Let me see it."_

 _Callie did and sent the message when he was satisfied with it. Stef replied soon after._ Okay. Thanks for letting me know. Love you.

 _Liam snatched her phone from her. "Awww. She loves you. How sweet." Then, he threw Callie's phone on the ground, shattering the screen with his boot. With a devilish grin, he grabbed her wrist again and pulled her toward him. "You're coming with me."_

 _Callie was so frozen with fear that she didn't make a sound as Liam led her to his Jeep. He took her to the passenger side and opened the door. "Get in," he growled._

 _She did so and didn't bother buckling up as Liam drove onto the road._

 _Callie cringed as Liam placed his hand on her thigh; her skin was crawling._

 _"Don't be like that, baby. You know you've missed me."_

 _Eventually, Liam turned off the road and into the park. They went deep into the woods to a deserted parking lot with nothing but a bike trail running near it._

 _Callie swallowed thickly. "Liam, don't...don't do this."_

 _He cut the engine. "Don't do what? This?" He leaned over and kissed her hard, her mouth involuntarily conforming itself to his. "Or this?" He kissed her again, shifting himself so that Callie was pressed up against the door. He kissed her a third time, using a hand to cup her face. He kept his lips on hers as he began to remove her shirt, only parting to force it over her head._

 _Callie yelped at her hair being pulled._

 _"You like it rough, huh? Good to know."_

 _Liam then reached for the waist of Callie's jeans._

 _"No! Get the fuck away from me!" Callie screamed, suddenly finding her voice as she tried to sit up._

 _"Shut up! You want this. You always did. Besides, no one's around to hear you." His tone was purely sinister. He moved to put his weight on Callie's legs._

 _"No! No! No! No!" Callie screamed, her hands futilely clawing at his, sobbing as Liam popped the button on her jeans, ripping them past the zipper as he forced them down her legs._

As if on repeat, Callie panted for breath as her eyes darted around her newly-found surroundings.

She wasn't in the woods, or in a Jeep. She was in her bed, gasping and sweating, nausea twisting her insides.

She felt tears roll down her cheeks, not bothering to wipe them away. She couldn't move, just like in her dream. A small sob escaped her throat; she managed to choke back anymore noise that could be made.

Callie lay still for a few minutes.

 _'How could I let this happen again?'_

 _'Liam's gone; he's not in my life anymore.'_

 _'Not even my dreams are safe.'_

Callie felt chilled as she threw off her blanket. Her tongue felt thick and her throat dry, so she crept out of bed and went downstairs to the kitchen.

After filling a glass with water, Callie sat at the table, drinking a bit of it.

Another painfully-vivid nightmare, another night fraught with lost sleep.

Callie took another sip, so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear Stef enter.

"Callie?"

She almost dropped her glass at the sound of her name, her eyes wide, panicked. She saw Liam's face instead of Stef's for a moment as the blonde stepped down into the kitchen, looking at the clock. It was after 3 AM.

Callie mentally shook herself, forcing herself to forget that image as Stef came closer.

"What are you doing up?"

"Thirsty," was all she said, glancing at her drink.

It was obvious to Stef that there was more going on than Callie was willing to admit. "Callie, what's going on?" she asked, sitting across from the girl. She did not miss the initial fear in her eyes and body language. Tension radiated from her.

"Please tell me, love."

Callie looked down and Stef could see that she was clamming up. "I'm not gonna get mad, I promise. I know something's bothering you; you don't look like you've slept much in the last couple of days since I brought you home from the school. What _really_ happened at work?"

"IthoughtIsawLiam," Callie blurted out quickly, before her window of opportunity could slam shut.

Stef didn't catch that. "What?"

Callie sighed heavily. "I thought I saw Liam. At work."

Now, things were starting to make sense to the blonde. "You _thought_ you did?"

"I was cleaning tables outside and a guy was paying for his order. He turned around and looked through the glass. Instead of his face, I saw Liam's."

"What brought this on?"

Callie groaned inwardly; this was going to be awkward, to say the least. "Um..."

"Callie? You can tell me, whatever it is."

"Wyatt and I...tried to have sex."

Stef wasn't expecting to hear that. She mentally prepared herself to handle all the difficult topics that came her way. "Tried? So, it didn't go well?"

"No." Callie chuckled nervously. "Not at all. I freaked out. I had, like, a panic attack. I couldn't breathe. I felt out of control and like he was crushing me."

"And he stopped as soon as you asked him to, yes?" Stef asked, completely serious.

"Yes," Callie breathed, nodding vehemently. "Yes, he did."

"Good."

"I thought...I thought I was past it. That I could really move on." She swallowed.

"Honey, what you've been through...it can take years for that to happen. Being raped is extremely traumatic. Have you ever thought about having some one-on-one sessions with Dr. Kodema?"

Callie shrugged. "I don't know."

"I think they would really help."

"That's not all," Callie admitted in a small voice, looking down at the table. "I keep dreaming of him. Of Liam."

Stef stayed silent as she elaborated on that.

"Last night, it was of me at work, but when I saw Liam in the window, he really _was_ there. He came outside and talked to me. Said that he'd see me around."

"How about tonight?"

Callie nodded ever so slightly. "Liam showed up after dark. But, before you could get there, he took me to the park and...he..." Her blood began to run cold; she shuddered. "He was raping me again. I let it happen again." Flashbacks of the dream resurfaced: Liam's hand holding her wrist, her phone hitting the ground, his hand on her thigh, him kissing her, roughly pulling her shirt, reaching for her jeans...

In one seemingly singular motion, Callie hopped off of her stool, turned, and vomited into the sink. She was gripping the edge so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Stef hurried to her side, holding her hair back as the girl shook, coughing, as her stomach had yet to settle.

"Relax, Callie. Relax," the older woman murmured, squeezing her shoulder.

Suddenly, Callie tore away from her grasp, going out the back door.

She took in big gulps of air, glancing up at the night sky.

"Callie? Sweetheart?"

Callie shut her eyes tightly. Before she knew it, quiet sobs began to shake her frame. She slumped to the floor of the patio, covering her face with her hands.

Stef went to her, opening her arms to hug her from behind.

Callie fell into them, now sobbing openly. An anguished cry died in her throat.

"I'm here. I'm here. I'm not leaving you. I'm right here," Stef cooed, her voice wavering as she fought back tears of her own, rocking Callie slightly.

Callie was soon exhausted, eyes burning, throat aching. The two of them were quiet. Stef was snaking her fingers through her dark curls; it was comforting. She could have fallen asleep right then.

"Do you think I'll always be this way?" Callie wondered aloud.

"Always be what?"

"So...fucked up."

Stef's eyes snapped down to the girl at her choice of words, but she didn't comment on them. "No, I don't, love. We're all screwed up. No one has all of the answers. No one has it all 'together,' no matter what someone projects their life to be."

"You sound so sure," Callie mumbled, looking up at Stef.

"I do know one thing: you're gonna be alright. You're a fighter. You won't let this beat you. _I_ won't let it."

"You can't control everything..."

"Try as I might," Stef sighed wistfully. "We should get some sleep."

"Yeah, I guess," Callie agreed, though not really wanting to. She felt safe and secure in that moment; a rarity that she had to savor while it lasted. Regardless, she got up and went inside, bid Stef good night, and climbed into bed.

For the first time in two nights, she didn't dream of Liam.

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you guys liked this. Leave me your thoughts. I did end this, but I think I'm gonna add at least one more chapter. I was going back and forth about it and I feel this would have ended too soon. Watch this space.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I started a new story this week, which gave me the spark I needed to finish this. I hope you all like this last chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

The next morning, Stef heard Lena get out of bed and go into their bathroom. She did the same, stopping at the door.

"Lena?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not going into work today."

The brunette opened it, having not yet turned on the shower. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just need to talk to you."

Lena joined Stef near the bed. "What about?"

"It's about Callie. I found her in the kitchen around 3 AM. She'd had a nightmare."

"Did she tell you about it?"

Stef nodded. "She's been dreaming about Liam. Being raped again."

"Poor baby."

"She had a rough night. I think we should keep her home today so we can all talk, the three of us."

"Of course," Lena agreed, willing to do whatever it took to help Callie.

Stef and Lena went downstairs to the kitchen for coffee and to start breakfast early. After 7, the kids began to trickle in and eat.

Stef went upstairs to Callie's and Mariana's room. She found Callie dressed and grabbing her school bag.

"Mariana's in the bathroom."

"Good to know. But I came to see you."

"For what?"

"You're not going to school."

"What do you mean? I have to."

Stef shook her head. "Lena and I talked and we think it's best if we keep you home today."

"You _told_ her about last night?" Callie hissed, hoping Mariana wasn't eavesdropping.

"No. Not everything. We want to talk about what's going on. About Liam. We want to help you, Callie. Okay? Go get some breakfast before Jesus eats it all." Stef's tone was light, but her expression meant her word was final.

With a sigh, she dropped her bag, kicked off her shoes, and stomped downstairs.

Soon enough, everyone was in the kitchen, finishing up with eating.

Lena looked at the time. "Alright, you guys. It's 7:30. Get a move on, before you're late."

"Are you coming, Callie?" Jude wondered as he took his plate to the sink.

"No," she said.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Is she in trouble?" he asked his moms.

Stef smiled. "No, love. Everything's fine."

"But, you're not going to work and neither is Mama."

"That's right. We're just keeping Callie home today. Don't worry." She kissed his head. "Now, go on. Learn something."

"Bye, Callie."

"Bye," she echoed flatly. She was not looking forward to the conversation she was going to have with Stef and Lena.

Lena observed the way Callie pushed her cereal around her bowl. The girl was clearly nervous.

"Callie? We don't have to talk right now. You can go up to your room if you want."

She stood and picked up her bowl.

"We'll get that. Go on."

Callie left her foster moms in the kitchen as she lay down on her bed. Her chest felt heavy with anxiety; her hands were cold and clammy as she wiped them on her jeans. She pulled her knees to her chest.

She took a deep breath.

 _'I don't know if I can do it again. It was so hard to tell Stef last night.'_

She felt her eyes begin to burn and sting as the shame of how she'd reacted early that morning overcame her.

Frustrated, she went to the bathroom and splashed water on her face, staring at her reflection.

 _'How could you be so weak? Throwing up? Crying like that? It's pathetic. You're fine. You'll be fine. You'll get over it. What's telling Lena going to accomplish, anyway? Nothing.'_

Callie went back to her bed until Stef and Lena called her downstairs. They were waiting for her in the living room, sitting across from the couch.

"Have a seat," Stef said.

Callie did so, staring at her hands.

"We'd like to talk about what you told Stef early this morning," Lena started. "You've been having trouble sleeping?"

She shrugged. "I guess so."

"For how long?"

"Couple days."

"And you've been having nightmares?"

"Just two. You're making it sound like that's a lot."

"That's two too many for my liking," Stef commented, noticing how Callie was putting walls up with her short answers and no eye contact. "We're not trying to upset you, Callie. We know how hard this is for you."

"Do you? Do you really, Stef?" Callie asked, looking up at them for the first time. "Have you ever been raped?"

"No. No, I haven't," Stef answered quietly and calmly.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to be at the mercy of another person? That your words and your cries mean nothing?"

The blonde shook her head.

"That's right. You _don't_ know. You don't know anything about it, so, just stay out of it and leave me alone." The girl never raised her voice, but her intentions were clear.

Callie stood up.

"Wait a minute. We're not done here."

"Well, I am. I'm just sorry you wasted a day off for this."

And with that, Callie rushed upstairs, shutting her bedroom door behind her.

Stef frowned. "I didn't expect that. I really thought we would talk this through."

"She's clearly not ready, honey. Maybe we pushed too hard."

"Or something else is going on that she won't tell us about. I think I know anger as a defense mechanism when I see it." That Stef knew well; she and Callie really were so much alike.

"Time and space might help."

"Or she'll just retreat further."

"Maybe."

Stef sighed.

"When she _is_ ready, we'll be here."

Stef wanted that to be now; she didn't want Callie to suffer with this for another minute longer.

 _[][][][][][]  
_

For Callie, that minute turned into a week. She pretended to go on as normal, but Stef and Lena knew better.

Callie was careful not to make trouble. She did her homework, chores, and anything she was asked with no complaints.

But, today had been rough. Her poor sleep was catching up to her. She dozed off in American History and surely bombed a test in Biology. She remembered studying, but couldn't focus.

Liam was ruining everything.

She just felt tired, physically and mentally. Clearly, she was not going to win this battle of wills. The nightmares hadn't left her. It was exhausting.

So, when Lena arrived home from Anchor Beach, Callie decided she'd had enough. She heard her foster mom go into her bedroom. Something was pulling her toward the door. She couldn't stop herself.

Just as she was about to turn back around, it opened.

"Callie? Do you need something?"

"Um...do you have a minute? Can we talk?"

"Of course. Come sit down." She shut the door so it was just the two of them.

Callie took a seat on the bed, while Lena did so in a chair.

"What's up?"

So many thoughts were running through Callie's mind; she had no idea where to start. The combination of nerves, fear, and anxiety felt overwhelming.

There were too many cracks. She couldn't keep up as more appeared.

She could only cry, burying her face in her hands.

Hearing Callie release her pain broke Lena's heart. The girl in front of her put up such a strong front and it crumbled so quickly. She went to her side, wrapping an arm around Callie's shoulder, pulling her in close.

"I feel so ashamed. I'm so ashamed," she confessed in a broken voice.

Lena was quiet. She wanted Callie to express herself in her own way, with no pressure, to feel safe.

"What Liam did to me...was horrible. It replays over and over...every night. Makes me feel trapped."

Callie let Lena hold her for awhile until she calmed down.

Lena passed her some Kleenex. "What happened, honey? What's with these nightmares?"

"Wyatt and I tried to have sex. We were safe. He was fine, he was gentle. But, then I had a panic attack. It felt like Liam was on top of me and I couldn't get him off. So, I told Wyatt to stop and he did. We had a fight. I guess I was still shaken up, because I thought I saw Liam while I was working."

"That's why you didn't come home," Lena realized, putting the pieces together.

Callie nodded. "I didn't mean to lie."

"It's okay. You weren't ready to talk about it yet."

"That's not an excuse."

"No, it's not. But, trauma makes us do things we wouldn't normally do."

"That night, I dreamed that Liam really was at my work, almost as it happened that day. Then, he was there at night and he took me to a park, trying to rape me again. I woke up before it happened, though."

"Have there been others?"

"Yeah. The actual rape, and when he would hug me or cuddle with me when his parents weren't around. It makes me feel dirty." She felt angry at herself. "I could have stopped it. I should have."

"No, Callie. There's nothing you could have done. Liam was older and an adult. He knew it was wrong."

Callie shook her head.

"Callie, look at me, please."

She did.

"It wasn't your fault."

Callie felt her emotions bubble up again, a lump forming in her throat.

"It was _never_ your fault. Understand?"

"Mhm," she murmured, feeling herself getting teary again.

"I know this is a lot to deal with. But Stef and I will be there every step of the way."

"But what if Judge Ringer makes me go live with Robert?"

"Don't worry about that. One thing at a time, okay?"

Callie nodded.

 _[][][][][][]_

"Here we are."

Stef parked in front of Dr. Kodema's practice and unbuckled her seatbelt. She looked over at the girl in the passenger seat who had made no move to do the same.

"Are you coming, Cal? Callie?"

"Yeah," she replied, hesitant. "Just nervous."

Stef just nodded, understanding. "I will be right outside if you need me, okay? If you need _anything_. I won't leave."

Callie's eyes showed relief as she and Stef left the car and walked to the front door, with Stef letting her inside first.

"Ah, Callie. Just in time," Dr. Kodema greeted her warmly. "Hello, Stef. Good to see you."

"Hi."

"Shall we?" Dr. Kodema asked Callie, gesturing to her office door.

She looked from the black-haired woman to her foster mother.

"I'll be right here," Stef assured her again.

"I know," Callie said with strength in her voice and life in her eyes that had been sorely missed. She turned and followed Dr. Kodema inside.

Callie didn't know what lay ahead, but she knew that she had taken the first steps toward healing. That she had a family to walk beside her on the road to recovery.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **A/N:** Finally complete, yay. I hope this was worth the wait. I really enjoy writing for this fandom; I love these characters and the _Fosters_ universe. Thanks so much for reading and leaving feedback. Stay tuned for more from me. Cheers.


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